Our only chance lies in this: to remake ourselves over and over again, frenetically chasing fashion, keeping up with state-of-the-art technology, and always being sure to purchase (or steal) the latest upgrades. Isn’t that the American way? Even the most arcane fads can be marketed for success, but nothing stays hip for very long. The regulative principle of postmodern irony is that we can survive only by squandering ourselves, which is to say by becoming yet more cynical than our controllers. “Life is a rollercoaster,” Nixon writes, “exhilarating on the way up and breathtaking on the way down.” Next stop, Space Mountain. Like it or not, we’re all aboard for the ride.